I was lucky enough to celebrate Mardi Gras in Lake Charles, Louisiana this year as part of a media trip, and we stayed at what has to be one of the best hotels in Lake Charles — L’Auberge Casino Resort. It has everything one could possibly want and more.

What looks like a castle on the outside is modern rustic on the inside… Texas Hill Country, to be exact. The rich, warm wood furnishings are accented by big stone fireplaces with cozy lounge seating.

L’Auberge has 1000 rooms, including luxury suites and private villas. Since I’m hardly a high-roller, I enjoyed a standard guest room, which was absolutely lovely with an ultra plush and comfy pillow-top bed. Dreamy!

Hungry? There are multiple dining options at L’Auberge, including Favorites Southern Kitchen where I savored this delightful breakfast parfait.

If you love fine dining, try Ember Grille & Wine Bar where the chef is doing amazing things with food and flavor.

The newest addition to the L’Auberge family is The L-Bar, where I sipped a specialty cocktail called “Bite Your Tongue”. Ask the bartender about the rosemary cocktail too… it smells heavenly!

And for those in-between meal must-haves, the 24-hour Modern Pantry is a life-saver. Try the gelato!

Forget something at home or just feel like shopping? L’Auberge has you covered there too with a nice selection of boutiques and beyond.

Shops and restaurants line the perimeter of the casino, so guests can always find what they need.

Oh, and did I mention there’s an amazing spa? And pool and lazy river? My room had a view of everything and although I never made it down there, it certainly looked incredible!

I know I’m forgetting some key elements to the property, like the golf course and the casino. I never visited either one, and that’s the thing… there’s so much to do in the resort, you may or may not do everything. What I do know is that you’ll enjoy impeccable service and true southern hospitality at L’Auberge — it’s an amazing place!

Southwest Louisiana is home to a number of diverse natural environments, and one of the best ways to explore them is via the Creole Nature Trail. Designated as an All-American Road, the 180-mile Creole Nature Trail takes visitors through piney woods, prairies, marshes, swamps and Gulf of Mexico beaches. All along the way are places to stop and explore, hike, observe wildlife and take photographs.

The best way to start your travels is at Creole Nature Trail Adventure Point, which lies at the western gateway. This free attraction gives visitors a fantastic overview and introduction to the Creole Nature Trail by immersing you in Louisiana’s unique natural habitats and culture.

When you walk inside, you’ll see a mini Creole Nature Trail road. Follow the roadway through the various interactive displays to discover what makes the Louisiana Outback and culture so unique and special.

Try your hand at crabbing with a magnetic chicken leg, crabs and a net.

Did you know? You don’t need a license to go chicken necking with a net and rope in Louisiana, and you can collect 5 dozen per day.

Find out the best places to spot alligators, migrating birds and other wildlife.

Discover some delicious recipes for local favorites like red beans and rice, beignets and pralines.

Try your hand at making music the Cajun and Zydeco way. You’ll be able to hear the difference between the two musical styles.

Did you know? Cajun is based more on French traditions and storytelling, while Zydeco has greater African influences.

Visitors can also see how many fish a brown pelican can eat at once, get an above and below water peek at a dolphin, and practice saying popular Louisiana French phrases like “Laissez les bon temps rouler”. Push a button and you can listen to how they should be pronounced.

Allow about an hour to enjoy all the interactive displays. You can also pick up various maps and guides to the Creole Nature Trail, and ask any questions you may have before heading out into the Louisiana Outback to explore!

I just tried Southwest Louisiana boudin for the very first time and loved it! If you know me, your mind is blown right now, because I’m super picky with food (like an annoying child), but I really did like boudin!

Boudin (pronounced boo-dan), a Louisiana delicacy, is essentially a mixture of pork, rice and seasonings put through a meat grinder, then stuffed into a sausage casing and cooked. The exact mixture and seasoning blend varies from maker to maker, but one thing’s for certain — it’s a regional thing, so to get yourself some authentic boudin, you’ll need to head to the Bayou state.

Boudin is such an important part of Louisiana culinary tradition, that I suspect talking about it is likely to incite something akin to Chicago vs New York-style pizza wars. Understandable.

A typical boudin is made of pork, rice, onions, parsley and dry seasonings like salt, red pepper, black pepper and garlic powder, but there are as many variations as you can imagine.

Although Cajuns trace their ancestry and culinary lineage back to France, Louisiana boudin is nothing like the French version (boudin blanc). Once in Louisiana, French traditions were altered to make use of what was available and rice was plentiful, so along with using every part of a butchered hog, they added rice and seasonings, stuffed it into sausage casings and bam! Boudin.

My first boudin bite happened at LeBleu’s Landing, one of the 34 stops on the Southwest Louisiana Boudin Trail, and visitors can watch it being made, but the recipe is top secret!

At LeBleu’s Landing, they make about 300 pounds of boudin a day. The boudin itself is made by grinding up green onions, yellow onions and parsley. Then the pork and seasonings are ground together, and finally, it’s all mixed together with rice and broth for the perfect consistency. To make boudin balls, the dressing is cooled before being rolled.

To make boudin links, the dressing goes into the boudin stuffer, and then it’s pressure released into sausage casings in just the right amount. The whole process goes really fast. A half batch (about 225 links) takes just 14 or 15 minutes!

When it comes time to eat boudin, you can try it spicy or mild, and steamed or smoked. LeBleu’s even has bacon-wrapped smoked boudin, and my favorite — fried boudin balls!

boudin balls

As far as how to eat it, that’s entirely up to you. Some people eat it with the casing on, and some people prefer to squeeze it out of the casing (me). Of course, with boudin balls, there’s no casing at all, but no matter how you eat it, just try it!

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